Will other countries follow Germany into battle with Elsevier? | THE News

"...The success of Germany’s nationwide negotiating coalition, Project Deal – whose tough line has in effect resulted in nearly 200 institutions using Elsevier services for free – has raised questions about whether other countries should and could also play hardball. Bernhard Mittermaier, a member of the Deal project and negotiating team, told Times Higher Education that German universities were now saving “enormous amounts of money”. During negotiations between Deal and Elsevier, which have stalled for more than a year over disagreements on pricing, open access and how costs should be calculated, German universities have let their individual contracts lapse as they seek a collective, national deal. But at the beginning of both 2017 and 2018, the publisher has either not cut access or has rapidly restored it after doing so...."